crossfit is very new in germany, there are only a handful of approved crossfit gyms around. some use the trick of calling their gym crosshall or crossathletic or something like that to avoid the affiliate fee.

my idea is to finish my master in economics (takes 3 more semesters) and then to open a crossfit gym. the trainer license costs 1000$ and they charge 3000$ per year to use the name crossfit. the market in germany is full of companies which provide low cost memberships for 20 euro. their main clients are the average joes, who try to lose some weight and be cool, cause they have a membership in the gym. i would like to adress the people who are more into basic hard training and also endurance training. i think with the name crossfit, which is becoming more popular in germany, i could outrule some other gyms in the area.

1) what do you think of crossfit in general?2) what do you think of my idea?

yeah, i'm still a novice to serious weight training, but it's over one year til i'll finish my studies. i can learn a lot in this time.

i just would like to work in the fitness sector. and the best start is to make any kind of license. i just have the idea of opening my own business, so that my economics studies would not be totally senseless.

if i really get in shape til i finish my studies and learn a lot, then make a good license, then nobody could see that i'm only a few years in the game. nobody starts with a very good knowledge. i cant have a very good knowledge, cause i'm only 27 years old. so not many years of experience. but that's why im asking and asking in this forum to get a better knowledge!

If you open a Crossfit gym, you'll only get crossfitters. If you cast a little wider net you can cater to powerlifters, weightlifters, strongman competitors and other athletes, as well as crossfitters. After all, there's a lot of overlap in terms of equipment.

Mostly I think that if you have what it takes to invest the money and make a profit, you wouldn't be asking us. I mean that. We are not the market for Crossfit and we're all thinking at least a piece of what Kenny said.

Opening a business is about making money. Unless it will be subsidized by somebody with cash, it must earn you your living (plus your staff) or you close the doors and take a big loss on your equipment investment. If you are not solid on your startup costs and time to breakeven and time to profit, then save your money.

Forget whether it is worthwhile, interesting, or effective. As a business the only thing that matters is if you can make back your investment with profit. And, how long will it last? Is it a fad? Will all of the motivated people with money (as Kenny points out that's your market) move on in a year or two? What if they don't like you and go to the crossfit gym down the street once that opens up?

I know a guy who opened a gym, as far as I can tell, surely for the love of it. He tells me you don't go into it for the money. So I suppose he can afford to not be in it for the money.

no, you got me wrong. i don't want to open a crossfit gym, cause it brings me more money per member. the problem is that germany is full of cheap gyms from big companies that i cant compete with. so i chose crossfit, because i like the style of training and because it is very new to germany, so i could pull members with the name (don't know if you can say that in english). i would like to offer it for 50 euro per month, so i would be in the price class of the gyms in germany, which also offer courses to the people.

i know that crossfit has some weaknesses, but i think it's a good complex program to build strength and endurance.

the idea from matt z is also good, but in germany nobody is interested in things like powerlifting or olympic lifts, you just need a big name like crossfit to get people to join your gym.

i also don't want to do it too earn a big amount of money. i could do other things to earn a lot more. opening a gym is just a way for me to be in the sports scene and do this for a living. my other option is to do accounting or financial stuff in an office for 8 hours a day.

Mostly I think that if you have what it takes to invest the money and make a profit, you wouldn't be asking us.

Most others on this thread either love to see their bloated answers on the screen or are too nice.I'm not trying to insult you. I could not open and run a gym. The difference is I know that without asking 10 strangers for input.

ephs wrote:

i also don't want to do it too earn a big amount of money. i could do other things to earn a lot more. opening a gym is just a way for me to be in the sports scene and do this for a living.

What else can you do to earn a lot of money - while owning a gym? Or you just own the gym but spend little time working on the business of building it?

ephs wrote:

my other option is to do accounting or financial stuff in an office for 8 hours a day.

Perhaps what he's trying to say is that he could potentially make more money working a boring 9-to-5 job, but would rather make a living doing something he enjoys. That said, he would still have to make enough off his gym to live.

I'm not sure charging more than double the membership fee of other gyms is the best business model. I also think he may be overestimating the drawing power of the Crossfit name.

Insead of opening an expensive brand-name gym and relying on a name to bring in members, he might try offering something different at a competative price. For example, he could try opening a no-frills gym consisting mainly of free weights with some more specialized equipment like climbing ropes, rings, steel logs, farmers walk handles, bumber plates & platforms, etc. This could appeal to a variety of gymgoers who want something a little more hardcore and performance oriented than your typical big box gym. I could also save on start up costs, since barbells, dumbbells, racks and benches cost a lot less than treadmills and weight machines.

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